1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a trench wall cutter with a cutting frame and a gear shield attached thereto. The wall cutter includes at least one cutting wheel positioned to turn on its opposite shield sides, and on which roller-shaped excavation tools distributed over the periphery thereof are pivotally mounted. When the cutting wheel is rotating the tools form a cutting wheel cutting surface which runs essentially axially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting wheel. The trench wall cutting is used to produce trench walls for excavations, seals and foundations.
2. Description of Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,071 discloses a trench wall cutter with a cutting frame and gear shield attached thereto. On the opposite shield sides there is at least one cutting wheel each of which can turn, and on which roller-shaped excavation tools are distributed over the periphery thereof and are pivotally mounted thereto. When the cutting wheel is turning the excavation tools form a cutting wheel cutting surface which runs essentially axially parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutting wheel.
Good drilling progress and a good undercut of the cutting wheels can be achieved with this trenched wall cutter even in medium hard to hard rock. When cutting in a trench, excessive forces occur which can lead to so-called "springing" of the entire trench wall cutter in the trench. In this case the cutting wheels are exposed to very high lateral forces which must be transmitted by the lateral, roller-shaped excavation tools to the cutting wheels. In this process considerable wear occurs on the radial bearings of the roller-shaped excavation tools.